Spirit Realm

While Ming Xiao was leading Gao Yu and the Ling Family away, Qin Lie himself was beckoned to another stone hall by Qin Shan. The duo followed quietly behind Qin Hao.

After several centuries, the three backbones of the Qin Family were finally properly reunited.

“Was that artifact you used to send us over the sacred artifact of the Demon Spirits of Time and Space, the Galaxy Mirror?” Qin Hao asked suddenly.

“Father, you knew about the Galaxy Mirror too?” Qin Lie asked in surprise.

“I heard it from Lieyan Yuan, yes,” Qin Hao answered while nodding.

“Lieyan Yuan…” Qin Lie fell silent while frowning for a long time. Then, he asked suddenly, “Is mother… still alive and well in this world? Also, that Lieyan Yuan…”

He told them everything about Lieyan Yuan gifting him the Ancient Tree of Life, but also hiding an imprint inside the object that could’ve controlled him if he had fallen for it.

“Lieyan Yuan did what to you?!” Qin Shan yelled angrily.

“He has always been that kind of person,” Qin Hao said darkly. “Your mother is probably still alive. She’s probably restricted by Lieyan Yuan, however…”

Qin Lie’s face turned cold when he heard this.

A short moment later, Qin Hao started, “When your mother and I first saw each other, I didn’t know that she was a member of the God Race. At the time, I had accidentally stumbled onto a strange corner of the galaxy, and over time we came to love each other. When she became pregnant with you, she finally told me who she really was.”

“At the time, Lieyan Yuan and her had already backed out of Spirit Realm. Their Perfect Blood project had also been met with countless failures.”

“However, she suddenly had a premonition during her pregnancy that our child might just be the one to successfully bear the Perfect Blood. Therefore, she secretly performed an experiment on you.”

“Lieyan Yuan knew nothing about this at the time.”

“As she listened to your heartbeat and pulse as her stomach grows, she gradually grew certain that your bloodline is unlike any other. Eventually, she became certain that the project she and her father had worked on for many years had finally come to fruition.”

Qin Hao’s expression suddenly turned cold for a moment.

“She knew that Lieyan Yuan’s real goal for pushing the Perfect Blood project was to push his own bloodline into the ultimate realm.”

“Lieyan Yuan’s experiments had caused the deaths of many young God Race couples, and ancient races’ clansmen of Spirit Realm. Everything he did was to obtain the Perfect Blood.”

“He hoped to swap his own bloodline with the Perfect Blood. He wished to become a bloodline warrior as strong as the Imperial Soul Monarch, if not stronger.”

“In fact, there is a very high chance that he might succeed in his goal if he successfully absorbs the completed Perfect Blood into his body.”

“Your mother knew his ambition very well. When she realized that her child may possess the true Perfect Blood, she told me everything she knew.”

“No mother would wish ill of their own child. Therefore, she and I made preparations to hide you from Lieyan Yuan before you were born.”

“Unfortunately, you’re connected to Lieyan Yuan by blood. He was able to detect your presence the second you came to this world.”

“Your mother knew that Lieyan Yuan would be able to identify the status of your bloodline with a single look and a drop of blood.”

“At the time, I wasn’t nearly as powerful as I am now. In order to save your life, I had no choice but to take you away from that corner of the galaxy and return to Spirit Realm.”

“As for your mother, she was far too weakened to make the trip. She had given up far too much to ensure you, the host of the Perfect Blood, was born safely into this world. That was why she hadn’t escaped with me.”

“In fact, Lieyan Yuan was the only person in the world who could treat her and restore her to full health.”

“That was why she had stayed behind.”

Qin Hao’s head was low, and his voice was deep. The mere memory of that day had struck a deep sense of helplessness and sorrow in him.

A while later, he resumed his story and said, “As you grew up, not only did your Perfect Blood not awaken, your God Race bloodline also remained dormant for some reason. I was in no hurry, however. I had always believed in her and her judgment…”

“I also know that Lieyan Yuan had learned of your existence after I returned to Spirit Realm.”

“I could sense him using his influence to sneak into Spirit Realm and observe you quietly from a dark corner I could not perceive.”

“The fact that you didn’t display enough talent or awaken to the Perfect Blood was actually a source of happiness to me, not sorrow.”

“After all, it was the only way to keep him from wanting your bloodline.”

“That is why I’d allowed you abandon yourself to despair three hundred years ago. I wanted you to stay low-key for as long as possible.”

“It’s because I knew I wasn’t yet strong enough to protect you from him.”

“Your weakness and your infamy as a useless person are the only things that had kept you alive at the time. If it wasn’t for them, he might’ve had killed you already.”

Qin Hao looked up with an expression of sadness and helplessness. “However, my choice to indulge you had only led you to another terrible end. I’d unwittingly given a rat like Han Qian the opportunity to act on the entire Qin Family.”

“The moment I learned that you were ‘dead’, I thought that maybe I was wrong all along. And then reason departed my mind completely.”

“You know what happened after that.”

“My Soul Altar exploded, and I had no choice but to leave Spirit Realm. Both the Qin Family and I had hidden ourselves in the outer realms.”

“By the time I awakened from my coma, a long time had passed since. Then, you awakened and was brought to Ling Town by your grandfather.”

“After knowing that you’re safe, I cultivated in the outer realms and rebuilt my Soul Altar. The Qin Family also focused on accumulating their strength.”

“There were many things about you that only I knew. Not even your grandfather knew much until now.”

“That is true.” Qin Shan smiled bitterly at this. “If I’d known that Lieyan Yuan was aiming for Lie’er, I would never have told him to trust in Lieyan Yuan and follow him to God Realm.”

“Lieyan Yuan and the God Race are at odds as well. It’s not like the seniors of the God Race are unaware of his intentions.” Qin Hao thought for a moment before adding, “I think it’s fine to let Lie’er communicate with the God Race. The only person he needs to avoid is Lieyan Yuan.”

Then, he sighed and said, “Unfortunately, he already has his eyes on you.”

He looked at Qin Lie and said, “The fact that Lieyan Yuan had ordered the Blood Emperor to deliver you the Ancient Tree of Life already proves that he was planning to rob you of your Perfect Blood. Right now, he’s waiting for the day you reach rank ten. Once you’ve proven that your bloodline is safe and flawless even after you’d reached rank ten, he’d immediately take your Perfect Blood from you.”

“A rank ten Perfect Blood may just be what he needs to surpass that limit and enter the ultimate realm.”

“When that happens, he might have the power to fight even the Imperial Soul Monarch head on.”

“He hadn’t prepared the Perfect Blood for the God Race at all. He had done everything for his own selfish purposes.”

Qin Hao snorted coldly when he said that.

“Lieyan Yuan isn’t the only one who’s vying for my blood.” Qin Lie suddenly spoke up with a bitter smile on his face. “In fact, I’m currently facing an even bigger problem than Lieyan Yuan. It’s the Abyss Master, Castor…”

“What do you mean?” The blood drained from Qin Hao’s face.

“I’d obtained a purple crystal carrying the power of dead souls from the Soul Devouring Beast, Xillin. That purple crystal merged with my Soul Altar later on,” explained Qin Lie. “After I came to Yellow Springs Purgatory, I started noticing that the fragmented secrets of dead souls scattered inside the Nether River are attracted to the purple crystal…”

He told them everything about Castor’s devil soul awakening from the Nether River of Yellow Springs Purgatory, Castor consuming Everardo to restore his first avatar, then his recent restoration of his second avatar at Nine Hells Purgatory.

“From what I heard from the Blaze Family Elder Lieyan Ge, Castor would seek me out after all eight of his avatars awakens from their slumber and accumulated enough strength.”

“When that happens, I would no longer be me.”

“Castor sees me as the base of his resurrection, and he has acted even before Lieyan Yuan did.”

Qin Lie smiled bitterly and helplessly at his father and grandfather.

“Castor!” Qin Hao yelled angrily.

The news stupefied Qin Shan as well. “How can this be? How can this be?”

“If Castor’s avatars are allowed to regain their peak strength, he would be scarier than even Lieyan Yuan.” Qin Hao inhaled deeply before continuing, “When I asked you about the Galaxy Mirror, I already had a feeling that Castor would be awakening from his sleep… I wasn’t expecting you to be so deeply entangled with him, however.”

“What’s the relation between the Galaxy Mirror and Castor?” Qin Lie asked curiously.

“I heard from your mother that the destroyed Galaxy Mirror was actually used to suppress the eight Nether Rivers, also Castor’s eight avatars. Someone at Castor’s level is nearly impossible to kill through normal means, and the fragments of the Galaxy Mirror were the only things that kept him suppressed all this time. Now that the Galaxy Mirror has reformed itself, the power that suppresses his avatars had disappeared. Of course he’s going to awaken from his slumber,” Qin Hao explained.

“Then what should I do?” Qin Lie asked while looking lost.

Qin Hao fell silent and thought hard for a solution.